Family of Jamilla Smith pleads for free legal help in missing, homicide case
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – This week marks two months since Jamilla Smith went missing after a troubling 911 phone call with her abusive ex-boyfriend present. He has been arrested and charged with kidnapping, murder and drugs. And now the family wants a local attorney to take on their case for free, getting Smith back and a conviction.
“If you call 911 and you hear a distress call, you don’t do nothing about it? You just let it ride until you get a murder case?” said James Smith, Jamilla Smith’s dad about his daughter’s call for help.
Smith’s family and missing persons organization The Broken Link Foundation called into question several Aiken County Sheriff’s Office policies. They said it’s been one month since her father has heard from authorities and they say law enforcement still won’t answer critical questions about the case.
A family member, Vanessa Williams, shared, “Why is it taking so long for them to provide information such as GPS coordinates, cell phone information, forensics on a burner phone that we just received knowledge of. What we don’t know is why is it taking so long for them to find Millie.”
The family said what they do know is police have charged Daniel Harmon with Smith’s kidnapping and murder. Police said Harmon was Smith’s ex-boyfriend and that he abused her. Now, the family is moving in a new direction; getting their loved one’s body and a conviction. But they need Aiken County’s help and generosity.
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“We are reaching out to the legal community and beyond, seeking a pro-bono attorney who can champion our case and our cause to help us find answers and justice,” said Jamilla Smith’s aunt, Gina Herron.
They family said while the holidays put searching on hold, they have been requesting help such as FBI assistance, and cadaver dogs to locate their loved one. And they said Harmon’s past domestic violence convictions were red flags that could have saved Jamilla Smith’s life. As they work through communication issues with law enforcement, they said they are still grieving as well.
“It’s tough. It’s always going to be tough,” Smith said. “Every song, everything that comes along that you think about your daughter, comes along, it’s going to be with you day by day. For me, I’m not going to stop until I find Millie.”
There is still a $10,000 reward in this case. And the family told us they will not stop showing their faces at the sheriff’s office until they get answers.
Anyone wanting to help the family with legal services or share encouragement can email them at justice4jamilla@gmail.com.
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